6) THE AZTECS

But you can't rewrite history! Not one line!” The Aztecs marks the first time in show’s history which directly addresses the implications which come with time travel. From a third-party standpoint it’s easy to side with both The Doctor and Barbara about whether or not it is morally acceptable to change history for the better. For The Doctor, he only wants to explore the Universe and never interfere; for Barbara, a history teacher, she only wants to help the Aztecs for the better. 
Perhaps what’s most interesting about The Aztecs aren’t the gorgeous sets and costumes, the eerie soundtrack, the excellent use of camera angles, the special effects or the performances, but rather, the antagonists themselves. Doctor Who villains tend to be driven by textbook desires and goals, but here, they only want to uphold Aztec honour and tradition. Tlotoxl’s only motivation is to prove that Barbara is a false goddess to the point where he plans to poison Barbara to prove his point. Can we really hate the guy? After all, Barbara exploits Aztec religious beliefs just to keep herself and her friends alive. Can we really blame Tlotoxl for wanting to expose Barbara as an imposter?
The Aztecs teaches us that travelling with The Doctor can be tough, and sometimes moral obligations and humanitarian feelings must be sacrificed in order to survive for another day. The Doctor falls in love, unknowingly proposes, and unwittingly parts ways with Cameca in a short space of four-episodes, with only a single broach to remember her by. Whilst historical-based narratives slowly phased out of the show’s format as time went on, The Aztecs is a fine piece of television that does more than just educate. ****

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